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BLS: Staffing Leads Job Growth in June

July 06, 2012

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Staffing Up 10.7% From a Year Ago

The staffing industry led employment growth in June by adding more than 25,000 jobs, according to seasonally adjusted employment data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is a 1.0% increase over May and 10.7% more jobs than a year ago. Moreover, BLS substantially boosted its temporary help estimate for May, from an initial 8.5% to a revised 9.3% increase year-to-year. The staffing industry has added 776,000 jobs to the economy since September 2009.

Nonseasonally adjusted BLS data, which estimate the actual number of jobs in the economy, show that the staffing industry added nearly 40,000 jobs (up 1.6%) from May to June. On a year-to-year basis, there were 10.7% more staffing employees in June compared with the same month in 2011.

Overall U.S. nonfarm employment grew by 80,000 jobs in June, BLS says. During the first three months of 2012, the average rate of monthly job creation was 226,000; by contrast, the monthly average for April through June was 75,000. The overall unemployment rate remained unchanged from May to June at 8.2%.

“Businesses continue to be very cautious about hiring in the current uncertain economic environment,” says Richard Wahlquist, president and chief executive officer of the American Staffing Association. “The good news for job seekers is that staffing firms offer immediate employment as well as opportunities for permanent placement.”

In June, most of the employment growth was led by professional and business services (the broad industry category under which temporary help is classified), manufacturing, health care, and wholesale trade.

Professional and business services added 47,000 jobs during the month (with temporary help adding 25,000 of these jobs), manufacturing added 11,000 jobs, health care rose by 13,000 jobs, and the wholesale trade sector added 9,000 new employees to their payrolls. Employment in other major industries showed little or no change.

BLS also provides employment estimates for search and placement firms, but those are nonseasonal only, and reports lag one month. Friday, BLS reported that search and placement employment in May was up 1.2% from April, totaling 286,500 for the month. In a year-to-year comparison, May search and placement employment was up 7.5% from the same month in 2011.

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The American Staffing Association is the voice of the U.S. staffing industry. ASA and its affiliated chapters advance the interests of staffing and recruiting firms of all sizes and across all sectors through legal and legislative advocacy, public relations, education, and the promotion of high standards of legal, ethical, and professional practices. ASA members provide the full range of employment and work force services and solutions, including temporary and contract staffing, recruiting and permanent placement, outplacement and outsourcing, training, and human resource consulting.

The American Staffing Association is the voice of the U.S. staffing, recruiting, and workforce solutions industry. ASA and its state affiliates advance the interests of the industry across all sectors through advocacy, research, education, and the promotion of high standards of legal, ethical, and professional practices.